Boat-latinchiito apparatus



F. WORTH. BOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS.

Amm/mon mio 1194.30. |919.

1,31 5,895 Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

TMI: COLUMBIA PLANJGRANI cn.. WASHINGTON, n. L'.

F. WORTH.

BDAT LAUNCH'ING APPARATUS. APPucATIoN FILED 1m30. 1919.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 rnANKfwonTH, or siizarrrmt,` WASHINGTON. s

" BOAT-JAUNCHING ArrAnA'rs;

,p .Applikation alearnaar 30,1919; "serial No. 273,946."

Be lit known that I, FRANK ""WoRirI-I, a citizen o1 the United" States,l residing "at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have `invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Boat-Launching Apparatus, of 'which the following is a specification. d

The object of thisfiiivention" is to rovide proved` apparatus for stowing and aunching ships boats.

The inventions` consists a boat-supporting cradle which is tiltably `connected at the gunwale. oi" a ship to enable the boat` to .be

stowed in an inverted position, above the deck of the ship,"o`r`be swungoutward into upright position into the water. y d d d p.

An importantfeature of thcinvention is in the novel `means for utilizing boat hoist* ing andlowering cables or ropes tonot only perform such "functions," but also `for controlling and actuating the movements ofthe cradle. d o l d The invention furthermore consists in the novel means for detachably connecting the boat to its cradle, `and also `in means whereby the boat `is`detachably connected tothe aforesaid cables. d

The invention; is illu d strated in theaccolnpanying drawings, wherein;- Figure 1 "is a view in transverse vertical section of apparatus" embodying myinvention applied to a ship, withthe cradle in its outboard position, the boatlshown in full lines being secured thereto, in dotted lines in a lowering posititni."` Fig. 2 `is a` transverse vertical sectionalview of a portion of the ship,with the apparatus and `boat shown in end elevation, the cradle `and boatbeing shown in 'full lines in tilted positions and `by dotted lines in the inboard orfstowed `poslf tions." Fig. 3 isa fragmentary perspective view oi the boat cradle`il1ustrated in aninverted Iposition. Fig. 4 is plan view with the parts inpositionswhich correspond with the `positions in which they are shown by full lines in Fig;` l." Fig. 5 is a `detail longitudinal vertical section of portions of the boat to show the releasing appliances therefor. i

In carrying out rny invention, I` provide afcradle comprising a trarne F having legs 1() depending from one of itssidesgand con# nected by pivotal pins or bolts 11 tostand- Specification of Letters Patent.

x preparatory lowering Patented sepa 9,1919.

ards 12 which are rigidly secured `to a `ship atlor near the gunwale 13 ofthe ships boat deck 14h The legs areoif lengths tosupport the frame approximately parallel to said deck when the frameis initsinboardfposition as indicated by dotted "lines F `in Figi 2. he lower ends `of said legs are bifur cated to provide two branches 101.` o d p `15 represent posts" rigidly `secured `upon said `deckto the ship structure.` Cables 16 connecting the upper endsof theposts with the frame adjacent tofthe "legs 110 serve to support the frame when initsfoutboard poitim" (Fig.`1)`, substantially parallel to the eci. i Provided inthe frame `F adjacent toits ends are rotary devices 17 having fingers 171 adapted to engage under the thwartsas T of a shipslboat B `to detachably couple the boat tothe frame and below thelattcr when in its Fig. 1 position.` l f o Secured to the boat B subjacent to each end'of the cradle `france are socket attachments 18`to accommodate `heavy bodies 19 which are releasably connected to the sockets by latch bolts `20 (Fig. 5) extending through registering holes oi the respective members. Said latch bolts are connected by links 21 to a lever 22 fulcrumed at 221 to a stand 23 3 whereby an operatorin the boat may with` draw` the bolts `from saidbodiesto release the boat Vwhen it is lowered by the attached boat`-lowering and hoisting falls 211` into proximity to thefwater surface. The lahovementioned falls 24: lead from the `bodies upwardly," asin Fig. 1, overgrooved sheaves 25 provided in blocks 251 secured tothe ends of the` cradle `frame, thence "pass over grooved sheaves 26 provided in the up# perfends of the respective posts 15` and are led to windingjdrums27. `These winding drums, as illustrated, are mounted on shafts 28 arranged to `be rotated by means of bevel gears "29 froin shafts 30 `carrying rworrn wheels 31 engaging worms 32 provided ona longitudinalshaft 33. The shaft 33 may be longitudinal shat` 371. .The shaft 371 may be rotated by suitable means as, forcxample, a lever 38 provided with a pawl 381 engag-V ing a ratchet wheel flsecnredlto `the shaft.`

40 represents a dog engageable withsaid ratchet wheel to prevent the drum sha-ft 371 turning during the intermittent engagement of the operatingpawl.` i i As shown, the shaft 371` is desirably journaled in bracket boxes lll connected to posts l5, The other beforementioned shafts 28 3Q and 33 are shown as journaled in bearing boxes provided `in standards 42secured to the ships deck 121:.` ,o 1 l t The operationpof.- the invention may been# plained as follow/sr` `f n s; s n AAsslnning] that the-hoisting andlowering falls 24 are connected by/the releasable de` vices ccmprisingrsoclrets 1S, bodies 119 and lock'bolts 20 to the'boa-twhen in thefWater alongside of the ship, andwith the .cradle in its outboard` osition asshown inFig., l, then by` suita 'ly turning thepshaft 3,3,fthe drums 27 arefrotated to effect the hoisting ofthe boat, untilthe latter is brought into jnxtaposition with the undersidenofl the cradle frame F. llVlieny ythus positioned, the operationofV the shaft 33V is discontinued ,until the boatis secured to the cradle by means of the `fingers l'lbeingf engaged by a man in the boat beneaththe thwarts TL The drums'27 `are thereupoin actuatedto cause the cradle tobe swung` upwardly andinwardly with respect to the ship, and as the center of gravity of the/boat and` cradle swings beyond a` plane extending vertically throughthepivotal pins `11,.,the falls` 24 engagefin the crotches betweenthe branches 101i of the respective legs 10 to, accordingly support the cradle inthe lowering of `the cradle and boat fronitheir full-line positions totheir dotted line positions,as indicated inFigiQ., i l o p To launch the boat the cable is Wou nd upon the drums 27 to exercise alift throng-h eachlof the legs 10 to elevate the cradle until` the centers of` gravity of the ,weights of the boat and cradle havepassed beyond the vertical planethrough the cradles pivotal connections, whereupon the falls 35 are paidIout to lower the cradle and boat into their outboard positions, Eigala The `boat is then detached-fromthe cradleby manipu; latingthe devices117, wherenpon theboat is loweredby means ofithe falls tflnntil within a short distance from lthe water, whenthe boat is releasedby the ,coxswain through the medium of the leverf22., l, u

From the foregoinglit is evidentjthat a boat may be broughtb jronr` itsyinverted stowed position `on the ship, intolowering positionby swinging `the cradlethrough the agency of the 4falls' 24 and after being-,dis connected from the cradle, the boat may` be `lowered by the fallsl;

These operations can be performed in a most rapid'malnner while the ship is moving, or otherwise.

wWhat Il claim,`

1. `In apparatus of the class described, the combinationwith a ship, of two posts secured upon aI deck thereof, sheaves Iprovided on said posts, a cradle, means to tiltablyconneet said cradle tothe ship; a boat supported by said cradle, and cables passing' over said sheaves and adapted to be releasably` connected to the boat 'for effecting the` tiltingof-saidcradle and thefsubsequent loweringof the boat therefrom.` 'l

\ 2. In apparatus of the class described, a ships boat,aftiltable cradle therefor, posts, sheaves provided on saidposts, cables passing over said sheaves" and detachablyiconf nected to; thev boatmea-ns to actuate said cables for eiectingthe tiltingpf'fsaidcradle, devices for retaining the boat on thycfadle during the tilting` movementsof the latter, andmeans connected 4with the .cradle fortilting the same independently of the aforesaid cables.`,` l l i o 3, In apparatus ofitlie yclass described, the combination witha ship. and a ships boat', of posts providedon the deckbf'said ship', sheaves mounted-on the respective posts, a cradle for' said," boat, said cradle heilig hingedly l connectedl with theship to enable the cradle #Ombo swung `into inboardandbllt'-` board positions with respect tothe. ship,and cables passing over said sheavesV for-raising and loweringthe boat to and from the cradle when the latteris in its `outboard position, said-cables. alsoserving to swing 4the cradle and boat.` from their outboard to inboard positions andvice versa. Y

4. In aipparatusoiy he class described, the combination with .faf ship, off standards scf cnredthereto, a bbatv cradle tiltably connect'- ed from one, of;k its `sidesto said standards and` havingllegs,supporting its other Side, a boat, posts; providedi on the n ship, y sheaves providedon said posts, drums, cahlesreleas- ,ably` connected to` the, boat and passing over saidlsheaves to the respective drumsand means to operate said drums ,to effect the tiltingbf the cradle through themediilrn of said cables: l l i In apparatus4 ofthe `class, described, the` combination with a. ship, or standards securedthereto, a-boat cradle tiltably con' nected` from one of its sides to said standards and havinglegs supporting;` its other side, a boat,l means for"A detachably connectf ingsaid boat to the cradle, posts provided on-the ship, sheaveslprovided on saidposts,

drluins, cables releasably .connected to the boat and passing over said sheaves to the respective drums, and means to operatesaid drums to effect the tilting 'of the cradle through theinedimn of said cables acting in cooperation with.` the cradle legs. i

6. In :Lppm'wtus of the class described,` a. Signed at Seatt1e, Washington, this `24th tltzible cradle comprisingr aframe having day of January, 1919. legs supporting one side of the frame, Stand` zu'ds hingedly cenneeted to said frame to 5 support; the latter from its opposite side, and Witnesses:

cables copemting with said legs to effect f PIERRE BARNES, the tilting of the cradle. JAMES B. METGALFE.

FRANK WORTH."

Copies of tlill patent may b`e obtained for ave cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. C. A 

